Enzymatic Protection Against Peroxidative Damage in Isolated Brain Capillaries

The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and catalase, and the concentration of reduced glutathione were measured in cerebral microvessels isolated from rat brain. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly arachidonic, linoleic, and docosahexaenoic acids, accounted for 32% of total fatty acids in cerebral microvessels. Whereas total SOD activity in the microvessels was slightly lower than that found in cerebrum and cerebellum, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities were twice as high and catalase activity was four times higher. Glutathione peroxidase in microvessels is active on both hydrogen peroxide and cumen hydroperoxide, and it is strongly inhibited by mercaptosuccinate. After several hours of preparation, the concentration of reduced glutathione in isolated microvessels was 0.7 mumol/mg of protein, which corresponds to a concentration of approximately 3.5 mM. Our results indicate that the blood-brain barrier contains large amounts of peroxide-detoxifying enzymes, which may act, in vivo, to protect its highly polyunsaturated membranes against oxidative alterations.     

Concomitant Increases in the Levels of Choline and Free Fatty Acids in Rat Brain: Evidence Supporting the Seizure-Induced Hydrolysis of Phosphatidylcholine

The main objective of this study was to determine whether the excitotoxic cholinesterase inhibitor soman increases the catabolism of phospholipids in rat brain. Injections of soman (70 micrograms/kg, s.c.), at a dose that produced toxic effects, increased the levels of both free fatty acids (175-250% of control) and free choline (250% of control) in rat cerebrum 1 h after administration. All fatty acids contained in brain phosphatidylcholine were elevated significantly including palmitic (16:0), stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1), arachidonic (20:4), and docosahexaenoic (22:6) acids. The changes observed were consistent with those reported to occur following ischemia and the administration of other convulsants. Pretreatment of rats with the anticonvulsant diazepam (4 mg/kg, i.p.) prevented both the signs of soman toxicity and the soman-induced increase of choline and free fatty acids. Diazepam alone did not affect the levels of choline or free fatty acids, cholinesterase activity, or soman-induced cholinesterase inhibition, suggesting that soman toxicity involves a convulsant-mediated increase in phosphatidylcholine catabolism. In addition, administration of the convulsant bicuculline, at a dose that produces seizures and increases the levels of free fatty acids in brain, significantly increased the levels of choline. Results suggest that excitotoxic events enhance the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine in brain as evidenced by a concomitant increase in the levels of choline and free fatty acids.     

Docosahexaenoate-containing phospholipids in sarcoplasmic reticulum and retinal photoreceptors. A proposal for a role in Ca2+-ATPase calcium transport

A critical review of the experimental literature concerning the metabolism of all-cis-4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19-docosahexaenoate-containing phospholipids in muscle and retina suggests that it plays an essential role in maximizing the Ca²⁺/ATP stoichiometry of the Ca²⁺-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum and retinal photoreceptor disks. Docosahexaenoate-phosphatidylcholine is proposed to participate in oligomerization of Ca²⁺-ATPase necessary for the establishment of a high Ca²⁺/ATP coupling ratio of the Ca²⁺ pump in these tissues. Possible tests of this hypothesis are presented.     

Structural analysis of the carbohydrate moieties of α-l-fucosidase from human liver

Acid -l-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1.51) was obtained from human liver and purified to homogeneity. The enzyme consists of four subunits; each of these has a molecular mass of 50 kD_a and bears oneN-linked carbohydrate chain. The structures of these chains were studied at the glycopeptide level by methylation analysis and 500-MHz¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Oligomannoside-type chains andN-acetyllactosamine-type chains are present in an approximate ratio of 31. While the oligomannoside-type chains show some heterogeneity in size (Man_5–8GlcNAc₂), theN-acetyllactosaminetype chains are exclusively bi-(2–6)-sialyl, bi-antennary in their structure.These observations on the carbohydrate moieties of -l-fucosidase substantiate our hypothesis [Overdijket al. (1986) Glycoconjugate J 3:339–50] with respect to the relationship between the oligosaccharide structure of lysosomal enzymes and their residual intracellular activity in I-cell disease. For the series of enzymes examined so far, namely, -N-acetylhexosaminidase, -l-fucosidase and -galactosidase, the relative amount ofN-acetyllactosamine-type carbohydrate increases, while the residual intracellular activity in I-cell disease tissue decreases in this order. The system which is responsible for preferentially retaining hydrolases with (non-phosphorylated) oligomannoside-type chains both in I-cells and in normal cells has yet to be identified.     

Nucleosomal organization of a BPV minichromosome containing a human H4 histone gene

Summary When the body temperature of rats is elevated to 42°C, four heat shock proteins, with the molecular weights of 70000, 71000, 85000, and 100000 (hsp 70, hsp 71, hsp 85, and hsp 100, respectively), are induced in various tissues of rats (Fujio et al., J Biochem 101, 181–187, 1987). Heat shock proteins are induced by various stresses other than heat in varieties of cultured cells, so we studied whether heat shock proteins are induced in intact rats by different treatments. Analysis of the translation products of poly(A) + RNA isolated from the livers of rats recovering from ischemia of the liver showed that mRNAs for hsp 70, hsp 71, and hsp 85 were induced. These hsp-mRNAs were also induced in the livers of rats 6 h after a partial hepatectomy, and had returned to control levels 24 h after the surgery. These results suggested that heat shock proteins have not only the function of protection against various stresses but also physiological functions in the normal growth and development of animals.     

Experimental candidiasis in liver injury

In an attempt to evaluate effects of liver injury and roles of iron metabolism on systemic fungal infection, experimental systemicCandida infection was produced in mice with galactosamine-induced liver injury. Survival rate and extent of fungal lesion are compared between mice with liver injury (Group 1) and ones without liver injury (Group 2). Median survival was 7 and 18 days in Group 1 and 2 respectively after 21 days observation. Mortality rate of Group 1 was significantly higher (P=0.05) than that of Group 2. This difference was reflected to the extent of fungal lesions in that they were extensive and disseminated, involving the multiple organs in Group 1 but predominantly localized to the kidneys in Group 2. UIBC (unbound iron binding capacity) and TIBC (total iron binding capacity), i.e., serum transferrin as well as serum iron levels were significantly lower in Group 1 as compared with those in Group 2. These results indicate that hepatic injury promotesCandida infectionin vivo and suggest that increased susceptibility toCandida in the presence of liver injury is, at least partially, attributable to low UIBC and/or TIBC.     

Properties of the 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) synthesizing systems of brain and liver

Chromatography of brain and liver 100,000g supernatants over HPLC molecular sieve columns revealed striking differences in the molecular weight distribution of ATP-sulfurylase and APS-kinase of the two tissues, pointing to different enzymic species for both enzymes in brain and liver. This was further substantiated by kinetic characterization of the two enzymes of both tissues. APS-kinase of liver is allosterically activated by ATP, while the brain enzyme is not. ATP-sulfurylase of brain is activated at high, but still physiological concentrations of ATP. Brain ATP-sulfurylase is inhibited by phenylalanine.     

Dietary fat influences electric membrane properties of neurons in cell culture

1. SJL/J mice were maintained on semipurified diets which differed in the ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid content (P/S). Exposure was from conception and was maintained for periods ranging from 6 to 34 weeks. 2. Neural cell cultures were prepared from dorsal root ganglia (DRG). After 6 and 20 days of culture, neuronal electric membrane properties were determined quantitatively by intracellular recording. 3. A number of significant differences were observed for the two dietary conditions. DRG from mice on the low-P/s diet had an increase in the rate of fall of both phases of repolarization which, in conjunction with the reduced action potential overshoot, led to a reduced action potential duration. This shift to shorter-duration action potentials was accompanied by a shift to more monophasic falling phases. The low-P/S neurons also exhibited a decreased afterhyperpolarization, decreased specific membrane resistance, and decreased membrane electrical time constant compared to high-P/S neurons. 4. It was concluded that the P/S ratio in the diet can have a significant effect on the electric properties of neurons. The high-P/S neurons tended to have action potentials with biphasic repolarizations and longer durations. In contrast, the low-P/S neurons tended to have action potentials with monophasic repolarizations and shorter durations. Moreover, the known ionic dependence of these two types of action potentials suggested that the low-P/S diet resulted in action potentials with a more exclusive Na dependence, while the high-P/S diet resulted in action potentials with both Na and Ca dependence.     

Consequences of terbium (111) binding on the conformation and enzymatic activity of Guinea pig liver transglutaminase

Calcium ions are crucial for expression of transglutaminase activity. Although lanthanides have been reported to substitute for calcium in a variety of protein functions, they did not replace the calcium requirement during transglutaminase activity measurements. Furthermore, lanthanides strongly inhibited purified liver transglutaminase activity using either casein or fibrinogen as substrates. Terbium (III) inhibition of transglutaminase-catalyzed putrescine incorporation into casein was not reversed by the presence of 10–200 fold molar excess of calcium ions (Ki for Tb(III)=60 µM). Conformational changes in purified liver transglutaminase upon Tb(III) binding were evident from a biphasic effect of Tb(III) on transglutaminase binding to fibrin. Low concentrations of Tb(III) (1 µM to 10 µM inhibited the binding of transglutaminase to fibrin, whereas higher concentrations (20 µM to 100 µM promoted binding. Conformational changes in purified liver transglutaminase consequent to Tb(III) binding were also demonstrated by fluorescence spectroscopy due to Forster energy transfer. Fluorescence emission was stable to the presence of 200 mM NaCl and 100 mM CaCl₂ only partially quenched emission. Purified liver transglutaminase strongly bound to Tb(III)-Chelating Sepharose beads and binding could not be disrupted by 100 mM CaCl₂ solution. Our data suggest that Tb(III)-induced conformational changes in transglutaminase are responsible for the observed effects on enzyme structure and function. The potential applications of Tb(III)-transglutaminase interactions in elucidating the structure-function relationships of liver transglutaminase are discussed.     

The protein kinases tightly bound to DNA are present in normal tissues and in regenerating liver, but strongly decreased in hepatomas

We have previously described in rat liver two protein kinases tightly bound to DNA, one is serine-specific, the other arginine-specific. In this work we show that both enzymes are present in various rat tissues and in liver from various species. Both kinase specific activities are strongly decreased in methyl-DBA-induced hepatomas and in HTC cells but not in regenerating liver after hepatectomy. This decrease is then not related to cell proliferation.